Real Food Testimonial

By:  Maria



It's not easy to drastically change how you eat for 3-4 weeks.  You want to change your bad habits, you know the benefits that will come when you do, but that change is difficult.  The road is riddled with obstacles - cravings, emotional & physical withdrawals that are difficult to deal with - and you wonder if it's truly worth it.
If you've been checking this blog for any amount of time, you know that we truly are what we eat.  Our health will either benefit or not benefit from the food we consume, every bite we take; is either contributing to our health or damaging our health.  It's that simple.
If you are one that still wonders if it will be worth it, read on...maybe this testimonial (along with others on this blog) will convince you that YOU (and your health) ARE WORTH IT!


I'm a 33 year old mom of 2 who has remained active and (I thought) ate in a healthy manner for most of my life. Despite that, for the last several years I've dealt with some fairly painful stomach/digestion issues.  The term "celiac" kept coming up, although I tested negatively for it more than once. I did a lot of reading on my symptoms and did my best to "clean up" my eating on my own.

After being a vegetarian for seven years, it was difficult me to give up my staples of grains, but I thought I was doing well to eat whole grains and gluten free products.

In October of 2010, I joined a gym and heard people talking about a different way of eating. As a teacher, reader, and lover of learning, I began doing some research and couldn't believe how simple it was and how much sense it made: eat real food. Rinse. Repeat. I spent the next couple of months locating resources, trying different foods, and making myself aware of the health benefits of the lifestyle. Furthermore, I began to learn a lot about my relationship with food...mindless eating, not really enjoying it, etc. As I began putting theory to practice (about 80% of the time) I started noticing benefits: improved workouts, a leaner build, better sleep, and a calmer nature. I also began noticing how harshly my body reacted when I indulged in processed fare, particularly grains. Within hours I was bloated, irritable, and miserable. I was shocked when I realized that this condition was how I was previously spending the majority of my time.

I decided that I would go for the 30 day strict plan for the month of January after reading the blog and learning about the need to let my body heal/reset itself from gut damage. My results:

• Although I haven't weighed myself, I know my original start weight was between 125-130 lbs. I've lost 9 inches since November (sorry I can't be more specific in regards to January only numbers), with the majority being gone from my midsection.
• Sleep!!! I have never been a restful sleeper until now! I'm in the process of a nasty divorce, and despite the strain in my life, I find it easy to go to sleep and stay asleep at night. This in turn has lead to improved moods during the waking hours.
• More with the moods - Although I have been "cured" of an eating disorder for years, the obsessive thoughts about food remained. Those are now gone. I no longer take an anti-depressant and feel better than I have in years.
• My skin looks better than it ever has, and although my hair has always been thick, I'm noticing tons of new growth...don't know if this is related to the diet or not.
• My kids are slowly coming aboard. Although I still serve them dairy, I have been eliminating the processed foods/snacks from their diets and replacing them with real foods. At 9 and 4 they are more willing to try new foods, and my daughter has actually started to ask for healthy items for her lunch.
• My workouts are stronger than ever. My deadlift exercise has increased by 50 lbs and I'm rarely sore following a workout. I've also begun endurance training for a half marathon and have energy to spare.

The hardest moments were those in which I didn't plan ahead. As long as I had plenty of protein cooked up, I was good to go. It was making those spur of the moment decisions when I was unprepared and starving that really tested me! For the most part, I cooked meat and veggies and added my favorite seasonings...it couldn't be more simple. 

My biggest tips:

• Plan ahead. When you go to the grocery store, load it up with the amount of meat and veggies you think you will need for the week, and then add more. Cook as much as possible on Sunday (crock pot of meat, prep your veggies) and put everything in storage containers for the week.
• Eat enough! In the beginning I was hungry. I doubled my protein and increased my fat and that was taken care of. As a child of the 90's, getting past the whole "fat is bad" mentality was tough. I basically have avocado with every meal now. My hunger stays at bay and I feel fantastic.

Courtesy of John Durant